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ifo Institute updates sector report on home and building services technology

Dec 11, 2018

Increases in turnover and employment figures are what, according to the latest study by the ifo Institute, have continued to characterise the development of the home and building services technology sector again in 2018. The data was collected at the request of ISH, the world’s leading trade fair for HVAC + Water, in conjunction of the German Sanitary Industry Association (Vereinigung Deutsche Sanitärwirtschaft – VDS), the Federation of the German Heating Industry (Bundesverband der Deutschen Heizungsindustrie – BDH) and the German Association for Energy Efficiency in Building Services (Forum für Energieeffizienz in der Gebäudetechnik / Spitzenverband der Gebäudetechnik – VdZ).

In the field of sanitation, as well as heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC), the home and building services technology sector achieved an increase in sales of 3.3 percent during the last calendar year, as compared to 2017. These are the findings of by the ifo Institute, who were commissioned by ISH to collect the current data in the sector. This means that the sector, as a whole, exceeded the previous year’s figures by a further € 1.9 billion and will end the 2018 business year with a cumulative turnover of around € 58.9 billion (2017: € 57.0 bn.).

The reason for the renewed growth is, once again, mainly the current economic climate in the building market. Real investment in building works in Germany rose in 2018 by 2.5 percent. At the same time, spending in the commercial buildings sector rose by 1.0 percent and, in the residential and public buildings sector, by as much as 3.0 percent in each case.

Accordingly, the residential construction sector, together with demand outside Germany, amongst other things, has driven the growth in industrial production. Beneficiaries on the internal German market were, first and foremost, the wholesale trade and the installation companies. Demand has been further fuelled by modernisation work in the bathroom area, with greater need for age-appropriate, ambient assisted living spaces and bathrooms. The heating industry generated a slight increase overall, driven in particular by the dynamic state of the new-build business. Renovation of existing buildings is, on the other hand, marked by stagnating figures, in spite of the programmes of state subsidy for increases in energy efficiency and the use of renewable energies.

At around € 48.0 billion (2017: € 46.4 bn.) – or 3.4 percent, sales in the home and building services technology sector in Germany are a significant part of the total volume of building work (public, commercial and domestic buildings).

Benchmark figures for HVAC and sanitation companies also remained stable and at relatively high levels in all three segments – industry, wholesale and installation trades. According to this, 515,299 people were employed in 49,325 companies (2017: 508,146 / 49,418).In this regard, there is evidence of a sustained upward trend in the total number of employed. And it is a trend that continues to create new jobs in the sanitation, heating and air-conditioning industry, which consists largely of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The ifo Institute looks forward to a continuing positive future for the sanitation and HVAC sectors. So the Institute expects further positive developments in building services technology in 2019 – say around 2.6 percent to some € 60 billion. In regard to real investment in building construction, the ifo Institute predicts an increase of 0.7 percent.

Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With over 2,400 employees at 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €669 million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.
With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).